Traditional exercise benches are large and cumbersome. They are limited in function and are not feasible for home use unless a person has sufficient space. These benches also have limited capability for strength and conditioning by coaches of athletes because the benches are not versatile. This is because these benches are designed to function as an upper body exercise devices. These benches do not adjust vertically and are not capable of performing a multiple of lower body exercises correctly. Moreover, the prior art exercises benches are not configured to fully meet the needs of athletes (professional and amateur), fitness devotees, professional trainers, or anyone truly interested in optimum true-form exercise performance. They are made for an average sized person and do not take into consideration the many different sizes and performance requirements of people utilizing them. Exercise benches are widely used in home gyms, health clubs, training centers, and university weight rooms. Often there is a very long wait to use a bench because of the time it takes for users to adjust the benches to accommodate their body size and type of exercise they desire to perform.
Athletes and fitness devotees train differently than average people. These advanced users depend upon perfected form, proper sizing (height ratio to body size, strength, and a range of motion), isolated muscle movement, safe equipment, and immediate flexibility. This means they need unique and different training resources than currently available. The health and fitness industry does not always address these consumer's needs or think in the same way, strength and conditioning coach thinks. Strength coaches create programs with existing limited-function equipment provided them and make adjustments to this equipment according to their less than optimum resources. More thoughtful exercise equipment for athletes and fitness devotees would provide a much-needed resource for optimum exercise and training.
There are currently no compact functional exercise benches evident on the market that can be utilized for use by strength and conditioning coaches, gym training, and home fitness. Furthermore, current exercise benches are relatively heavy and do not adjust vertically in height and length.
Since the typical exercise bench has no height adjustments, exercise variations are limited. A tall person's relationship to an exercise bench is different from a shorter person's relation. Therefore, many exercises are not optimal for either person. In order to alleviate this problem, a person must either choose a different apparatus, abandon the particular exercise altogether, or perform it incorrectly (which can have many negative effects). For example the proper form when performing a “box-squat to parallel” on an exercise bench is determined by the height of an individual. “Parallel location” for a person who is 6′ feet tall is different than for a person who is 5′6″ tall. The exercise cannot be performed correctly if the height of the bench is not proper.
Typical exercise benches are limited to mostly upper body exercises because these benches have a standard height with no vertical adjustments. There are many types of exercises such as, squats, step-ups and explosive lower body movements that cannot be performed on a typical exercise bench effectively because it lacks vertical adjustment. As mentioned above, such exercises are limited in effectiveness and functionality due to the various heights of people performing them.
Many people would like to work out in the comfort of their home but do not have the space for an exercise bench. Also, people who are just starting a workout program might be intimidated by going to a gym and would rather start at home to build their self-confidence. A problem with purchasing a conventional exercise bench for home use is storage. Exercise benches are not made for apartments or small homes and are purchased for home use by people who have garages, basements or workout rooms with plenty for space for both use and/or storage. Those who live in apartments and small homes are ignored.